New year, new you, new chances to win over new buyers and sellers! This year, resolve to try at least one new, unexpected lead-generation strategy.
Here are some outside-the-box marketing ideas to help you start 2019 with a bang:
1. Set up a table at a local farmers market
Farmers market shoppers get thirsty – and they all need tote bags to carry home the local produce they purchase! Make yourself indispensable and unmissable by handing out branded water bottles and totes.
It’s a great way to meet people in the community and get your name out there. Even if your local markets are closed for the winter, you can still research how to get everything ready so you can execute this strategy in the busy spring season.
2. Run a fantasy sports league in your community
Use social media to invite people to join you in a fantasy sports league! It’s a great way to build trust and name recognition. You never know who you might meet, or who might turn into a client or referral down the road.
3. Brand household tools and give them away
Your contact info can come in handy – literally! Whether you give a fire extinguisher to a client upon closing or hand out free hammers during a community event, this is a low-cost way to stay top of mind.
And if your clients have a habit of sharing tools with neighbors? Even better!
4. Verify your Google business profile
This is a big deal: Only about 1 in 10 real estate agents have caught onto how important a Google business profile is, so this is a creative and ingenious way to get in front of buyers and sellers. A verified Google business profile appears at the top of Google search results — think the entire screen on a mobile phone — so you stand out.
Verifying and consistently updating your Google business profile will give you credibility in Google’s eyes — and by extension, in the eyes of your clients. If you’re not sure how to start, we make it easy with Homesnap Pro+.
5. Send out a postcard featuring a fun recipe
When you send a direct mail postcard throughout your sphere of influence, add some value that’ll make prospects want to hang onto it. Include a great game-day dip recipe, an easy dessert, an inventive cocktail accompanied by a fun photo or illustration, and voila! You’ve made your brand fridge-worthy.
6. Make a viral music video!
Hey, it worked for this Iowa-based agent, who made an Adele parody music video. If you’ve got the voice, use it! And if you don’t have a great voice — but you’ve got a great sense of humor and you’re willing to put yourself out there — that’ll work, too. Share the video on social media and see what happens.
7. Run a contest or sweepstakes via social media
Give away some great swag or run a caption contest. Whatever you do, offer the winner(s) a fun prize – and you’ll get some contact info in exchange.
If you can afford to give out weekly prizes – say, $5 gift cards to local coffee shops – you can keep people coming back to your pages and multiply the names on your contact list.
8. Score a guest spot on a podcast
Reach out to a real estate podcast and pitch a creative topic — or, offer to talk about a piece of the industry you specialize in. You can also see if local news or lifestyle podcasts could use a real estate agent’s take on neighborhoods or trends. You’ll build credibility, earn trust and put your name in people’s ears.
9. Carry small swag you can give away
Can you tell we love swag? Next time someone asks if you have an extra mint or a pen, make sure it has your branding on it. Little things like that don’t cost much, and they’re a low-pressure way for you to tell an acquaintance or stranger about what you do. Plus, these pieces have functionality that’ll urge prospects to hold onto them.
10. Create a local market quiz to share on social media
People want expert advice on the local real estate market, but most of them don’t have the intel you have. Running a quiz will help you offer value by educating people in your sphere of influence and further establishing yourself as an industry expert.